As we look around, I see that he's right. Not only does this one have a separate dining room, living room, and kitchen, it has a half bath in the main living area in addition to the full bath upstairs. The upstairs hallway contains three other doors – two to spacious bedrooms and one to a smaller space.
He's right – it's the perfect nursery.
“It is. I mean, eventually. I'm only twenty-three right now and I haven't dated in fucking forever. But, yeah, I think I'd like to be a dad one day.”
He quirks one side of his lips up.
“I bet you have a fucking fabulous dad. You're all well-adjusted and shit.”
I actually break into laughter at this.
“Ohfuckno. He doesn't get to take credit for this. But my mom and my therapist? They can take their share.”
A wrinkle appears between Ethan's eyes.
“You see a therapist?” He asks, not with judgment so much as curiosity.
“Ethan, I'm the first openly gay man in professional hockey.Of courseI see a therapist. Honestly, I think everyone should.”
“Yeah? What do you...what's it like?”
It occurs to me that Ethan may have never had an open conversation with someone who goes to therapy. I'm not sure he's everhadan open conversation, for that matter. I measure my words carefully.
“I don't know about you, but I find that I can really get in my own head sometimes. You know, tell myself stories about what people are thinking about me, or about how I don't deserve something. Therapy helps me sort out the truth from the fiction. It also gives me tools so that when that happens, in the moment I can take a step back and really...seea situation.”
He looks at me for a long beat, and I worry I've said something wrong.
“I...I didn't know other people did that, too.”
I slap his back in a way that I hope won't make him uncomfortable.
“Don't worry, bro. We'reallfucked up.”
As we walkto the final place, Ethan admits he doesn't think I should pick it.
“In fact, I'm pretty sure your financial advisor would kill me if he knew I was showing it to you. It's way too much money and way too much house for a rookie contract. Even withyoursigning bonus.”
“If it helps, I don't have a financial advisor.”
He literally stops in his tracks at this.
“Dude. Carter. Youhaveto have a financial advisor. The sooner the better – I'll hook you up with my guy. His name is George. He does Alexei's money, too.”
“If you hook me up with your money guy, does that mean I have to hook you up with my therapist?”
“I...maybe. Maybe, Jamie.”
I don't push anymore, knowing that's a big enough step for him.
“So if my newfound financial advisor won't approve of this place, why are we even looking at it?”
He looks a little...ashamed?
“It's just too beautifulnotto look at.”
We walk back toward the park and when we're just about a block away, we stop at the stoop of a limestone and brick building. While the other places we've looked at today have been rentals – townhomes or portions of a larger building – this is clearly a single family residence.
He types in a code to the lock and it whirrs open.
